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Rowanpaw’s Mistake
Yeet another warriors fanfic o: Rowanpaw is a normal RainClan medicine at apprentice. Frostpaw is a normal cat training to be warrior. It seemed they have both fulfilled their dreams... except nothing feels right. They dont have much time to ponder this, though. Frostpaw has been getting more and more strange dreams. Rowanpaw has been spending more and more time with a local rogue. And while Rowanpaw uncovers a deadly conspiracy against the entire clan, Frostpaw receives a chilling message: if you stay on the forest path, the shadows will overcome you. If you step out into the light, the sun will blind you. To top it all, Rowanpaw makes a deadly mistake, jeopardizing the whole clan. Will Frostpaw overcome her visions to see them for what they really are? Will Rowanpaw be able to fix what he did wrong? Either way, I hope you enjoy! -Wolfy Note: this fanfiction may contain slight violence, and a couple characters may die. If you are sensitive to this stuff, I would not recommend reading past this notice. Thank you! Allegiances Rainclan Leader: Wispstar, mottled Brown tom Deputy: Deerpelt, tiny light brown she-cat Medicine Cat: Blossomfur, ginger she-cat Warriors: Moonbreeze, dark gray Tom with pale blue eyes Foxtuft, strong cream she-cat Breezecone, gray she-cat Fishtail, ginger Tom with startling blue eyes Snowflick, pure white Tom Brightflower, she-cat with deep green eyes Cleverheart, black and gray tabby she-cat Adderpool, gray tabby tom Hailfoot, light brown tom Queens and Kits: Darkfall, mother to Moonbreeze’s kits: Flintkit, gray Tom with pale yellow eyes Rowankit, dark gray Tom with amber eyes Shardkit, black she-cat with amber eyes Snowflick‘s kits: (born to Streameye, deceased) Frostkit, white she-cat Thornkit, white-gray she-cat with bright blue eyes Part One Chapter One Rowankit crept slowly, hoping not to wake his mother or littermates. The leaf-bare wind struck him hard the moment he walked out of the den, a constant reminder about the season. It had been almost six moons since he had first entered the world, and he would be an apprentice no less than two sunrises from then. But Rowankit still had to check something. Across the camp loomed the medicine den, home of Blossomfur's great supply of herbs. Rowankit found himself treading carefully, not wanting to step on any if her precious herbs. Blossomfur was generally a mild-mannered cat, but Rowankit was unsure about what would happen if she caught him "playing" in her stores. Across the room, Rowankit spotted the small ginger form in the corner. He padded over and tapped her lightly with his tail. "Blossomfur? Can I talk to you for a moment?" ▪▪▪ Dawn came and went. At midday, Rowankit was approached by his siblings. Shardkit, who shared Rowankit's amber eyes, spoke first. "Hey Rowankit. We're playing fox attack, and Flintkit is the fox. I need another warrior to help me. Would you play with us?" Flintkit, the more reserved of the two, quietly added, "If you aren't busy, of course." Rowankit shuffled his paws. "Sorry, you two. I have something to do this time." Shardkit sighed, and walked off, beckoning for Flintkit to come with her. They roped in the other kits in the nursery, Frostkit and Thornkit. Rowankit felt a sense of remorse, looking at the four if them playing games, but he has more important stuff to do. I'll be an apprentice in a day! ''He sternly told himself. ''I don't have time for these childish games. Thornkit and Shardkit leapt over the other two, and pinned them to the ground. Giggling, they declared themselves the winners. Flintkit clawed at his sister playfully, but she wouldn't budge. Childish, ''Rowankit thought. He stiffened at the sound of a cat behind him. It was Moonbreeze, his father. "You aren't playing with the other kits," Moonbreeze remarked. "I thought you loved warrior games. What happened?" Rowankit shuffled his paws guiltily. "I guess I grew up," he meowed evenly. Moonbreeze nudged him playfully. "You don't have to be a kit to have fun. Watch this." Moonbreeze stalked the kits until he was right in front of them. Then he yowled, "Well, the young badgers have had their play, but the papa badger is here now! Ooh, some cat warriors. Well, you won't get past me!" Rowankit snorted at his father's antics, as all four kits tackled him. He missed playing a little bit, but he was almost an apprentice, a grown up. And he had something very important to do. "Watcha doing?" A voice from behind him called. Blossomfur stood on a boulder, her deep ginger fur illuminated by the odd patches of sunshine. "We need to see Wispstar! Remember...?" Rowankit, who had be sitting down to watch them, sprang to his feet. "Yes!! Sorry Blossomfur, I was just distracted!" Blossomfur snorted. "Being easily distracted is not exactly something I would look for in an apprentice of mine, but I'll let it go this time." Rowankit locked his paw discreetly, wanting to look good for the shs-cat. After all, she would be his mentor. Probably. Hopefully. The two of them jogged up to the leaders den, quite aware that they were late. Inside the den, Hawkstar was arguing with his deputy (and sister) Deerpelt. "You know we won't be able to find him if we don't look!" "Yeah, but what if they were caught by nofurs? Or a fox? There's no sense leading other warriors into the same trap." "They should be our first priority!" "You're just saying that because Adderpool is your son!" Deerpelt stalked out of the den at that least remark, bumping into Blossomfur and Rowankit. She shook herself of, before muttering, "I'll find them myself." Wispstar noticed the cats sitting outside, and beckoned them in. " Sorry about that. Something troubling has come up..." "Wispstar," the ginger she-cat mewed, "We have something important to ask you. About Rowankit." "Yes, I'm listening." "I know he would be made an apprentice warrior at dawn tomorrow... but he has shown interest in herbs. His memory skills are amazing, he already knows a bunch of herbs!" "So you want him to be your apprentice." Wispstar sighed. "That's your decision. Don't come to me for stuff like that, he wants to be your apprentice." These last words had a tinge of annoyance to them, and maybe skmething else. Judging by the circles under his eyes and the way he spoke, he was tired. Blossomfur nodded. "Sorry," Blossomfur mewed. Any reply the leader might have had was knocked away from a desperate growling from camp. Rowankit looked outside and recognised the one making the noise as Foxtuft, one of the warriors. The three cats raced down to meet her. She was already frantically telling her story to Deerleap. "I was on patrol with Adderpool and Hailfoot!" Deerleap stiffened. Rowankit knew that Adderpool was her only son, so he must mean a lot to her, after her mate was killed in a rockslide. "Contnue," she said briskly. "We got lost in the woods... then, we must have been on top of a cave or something, because he ground gave way... and they both fell down. I ran for help as fast as possible... I hope I'm not too late." "Come on then!" Deerleap called. "Foxtuft, Blossomfur, come with me!" Blossomfur flicked Rowankit with her tail. "You want to be a medicine cat apprentice, come on!" Foxtuft showed the way through the forest, which had been darkened by clouds over the sun. Rowankit raced after the rest of the cats, hoping these clouds weren't a bad sign. There would be a storm tonight, that was for sure. "It's here," Foxtuft said. In front of them was a gaping chasm, going down maybe ten times the height of a cat. Two small forms were visible at the bottom... Rowankit could faintly make out the gray stripes of Adderpool and the Brown mass of fur that was Hailfoot. Deerleap cried out, but it was too late. A mass of soil gave way beneath her paws, sucking her under. "No!" Blossomfur called, but she was completely covered, lying somewhere down there beneath all the dirt. "Deerleap... no." Too shocked to speak, Rowankit climbed his way down a few tree roots to the other cats. He had just seen a cat die, the deputy no less. What would Wispstar say? There was still cats he could save. Adderpool flinched when Rowankit approached him. Rowankit could save this cat. ''Time to show them how good I can be. He quickly assessed the patient. He was bleeding severely in two spots, his leg and part of his chest. Rowankit, remembering what he had seen Blossomleaf do before, grabbed some spiderweb from where a spider was nesting in a damp log. "Sorry," he muttered to the creature. "I need these." He wrapped them around the Tom's wounds, as to staunch the blood. It seemed to work. At least he won't bleed to death now. His head seemed alright, but his leg was twisted at a strange angle. He had seen this before. A young warrior had smashed into a tree, twisting her leg. Rowankit had taken careful notes, but he was worried. "Blossomfall!" he called. The two she-cats were inspecting Hailfoot... or, more accurately, Blossomfur was. Foxtuft was covering her eyes two or three fox-lengths away. Fear of blood, Rowankit guessed. "I think his leg was twisted," Rowankit panted. This was hard work. Blossomfur was sweating too, clearly feeling the pressure. She nodded, impressed. "You've stopped the bleeding, I see. Very nice. Come on, we need to somehow get them back to camp." The edge of the cliff was illuminated by the setting sun. A silhouette crossed it. Then another. Then a third. ”Are you alright?” Cleverheart bounded down the twisted roots, pausing for breath. She was followed by a concerned looking Snowflick. The third figure stood still at the top of the hill. Rowankit squinted to look at it, then realized who it was. ”Where’s my sister...?“ Wispstar asked nervously. … ”You worthless mouse-brained Fox-hearted lumps of—“ The leader paused, as if only realizing now that a kit was listening. “I can’t believe it! My sister is dead because of you three!” Foxtuft shuffled her paws guiltily. Blossomfur, however, seemed to somehow keep her calm, despite the leader‘s horrifying language. “Wispstar,” she remarked, “don’t lose yourself.” Wispstar snarled at her, “Why you...” He went silent for a moment. Blossomfur nudged Rowankit out of the den. “I’m sorry you had to hear that,” she murmured once they were safely out of earshot. “He’s gone mad with grief... our own leader. Imagine.” Rowankit nodded sincerely. He wondered what he would do if in that situation. Rebellious Shardkit, shy Flintkit... the former could be pretty annoying, but he loved them both very much. ”Let’s go check on the patients now,” Blossomfall meowed softly. … Adderpool put his head up when the two entered. ”Rowankit,” he said softly. “Can I speak with you for a second?” “Sure.” Rowankit craned his head to hear the injured Tom. He felt sympathy for the cat. His mother was gone. His father was gone. He had no siblings. His uncle seemed to be slowly losing his sanity. Rowankit had a brother, a sister, a mother, a father... a family. What did Adderpool have? ”You know, if you and Blossomfur hadn‘t come along...“ Adderpool started. “I almost died of blood loss. Just a bit more time out there, and... well, Blossomfur says I’m lucky to be here right now. Honestly, luck has nothing to do with it. It was all you, Rowankit.” Rowankit felt his face flush with pride. He had helped another cat... and it was definitely a good feeling. ”Thank you... you saved my life, Rowankit. You’ll be a fine medicine cat.” Rowankit gasped. Adderpool winked. Blossomfur looked on from the herb stores which she pretended to be sorting. ”Blossomfur told me. Good luck!” Back in his nest, Rowankit reflected on the day. It had been scary, sad, angry. He seen poor Deerpelt die. But on top of that, there was the satisfaction... the feeling that he had really saved another cat. He smiled. It was a great feeling. Chapter Two Frostkit yawned rather loudly as sunlight streamed in from the holes in the brambles making up the den. Beside her, Thornkit tensed. "Shhhh!" she whined. Frostkit groaned and blinked several times to clear the sleep from her eyes. Slowly, she got up from her nest and stumbled outside. In the morning sunlight, she could tell the atmosphere of camp was different from usual. Cats were clumping in large groups, all looking somewhat depressed. "What's going on?" she asked Flintkit, who was solemnly chewing a mouse by the prey pile. She grabbed a shrew and sat beside the quiet kit. He was a good friend, despite the fact he could be quite melancholic for no obvious reason. Flintkit sighed and looked at her. "Deerpelt died yesterday. You know, the deputy." Frostkit flew through her mental images of the cats if the clan. Deerpelt? "The smaller cat, right?" "Yeah. She was Wispstar's sister. Apparently he's pretty upset." "Oh, okay." Frostkit did not know her, but if it was enough to get the whole clan acting so sad she must have been a good cat. Frostkit quickly adopted the air of sadness she had seen in the eyes of her fellow clanmates. "Thank you for the information, I gotta go now." Frostkit walked away, pushing through the stalks of heather that lined the camp. She spotted her father on the other side of the clearing, and feeling like she needed to talk to him, she stumbled towards him. Snowflick was a quiet cat, and had been that way for moons. His close friends had told Frostkit it had started when her mother died, but Frostkit was too young to remember. She wished that she had known her. Every time she saw Flintkit and his siblings with their mother and father, Frostkit had felt a pang of jealousy. But, despite all the initial shyness, Snowflick was a good father, so Frostkit figured she didn't have too much to complain about. "Hey, kiddo," Snowflick said. "What's up?" Frostkit softly mewed, "I need to talk to you." Snowflick listened quietly, until she reached the end of what she had to say. "That's crazy... are you sure?" "Thanks for the confidence," Frostkit remarked dryly. "Sorry... that's pretty... hm, I don't know what to say. Should we tell Blossomfur?" "I don't know," Frostkit shrugged uncomfortably. "I'm sure it was just a dream. Maybe an unusually vivid one, I dunno." It all came crashing back to her. She was running through the forest in the dead of night, except it wasn’t the forest Frostkit knew. Everything was off. Most of the trees had been felled in some strange way, and the ones still standing gave off eerie shadows that seemed to creep up on Frostkit. Shivering, she trudged through the gloomy forest, stepping over logs and through overgrown brambles. She could not see her own two paws in front of her, as the last light of the moon was covered by heavy storm clouds. Stumbling, she tripped over a prickle bush, catching her paw on it. Crimson droplets cascaded through the air. Scowling, she shook herself over and continued. The rain began to patter down, soft at first, but getting thicker and colder by the minute. Eventually, the rain was so cold that Frostpaw had to lug her sodden body into a hollow log for shelter. The rain intensified around her, until she couldn’t hear anything except for the sound of her own shivering. She couldn't even hear the steady pawsteps behind her, until she was roughly poked in the back. She slowly turned around, and found another cat sitting in the log behind her. He was a ginger tom, fur neatly groomed, eyes shining, and was his pelt... glowing? It seemed to illuminate the whole forest, until the rain abruptly stopped and sunshine poked through the clouds. The Tom's pelt prickled uneasily. "Frostkit," he meowed, "I need to talk to you." Before Frostkit could reply, sunlight hit her. Frostkit yawned rather loudly as sunlight streamed in from the holes in the brambles making up the den. Beside her, Thornkit tensed. "Shhhh!" she whined. Frostkit groaned and blinked several times to clear the sleep from her eyes. Slowly, she got up from her nest and stumbled outside. Frostkit shrugged. It was a weird dream, sure, but cats had weird dreams all the time. Plus, why in the world would a cat like that want to talk to her? Shaking away her unease, her paw pricked. She lifted it up and stared at it. Her paw pad a large mark in it, like a prickle had embedded itself in her paw recently. The thing was, there were hardly any prickly bushes or thorns in the whole camp, and Frostkit was very careful to stay away from them. So, where had this come from? Frostkit's mind flashed back to her dream. This couldn't have been a mark from when she had stumbled over the bush in her dream... Could it? Chapter Three ”Let all residents of the clan join under the Highest Tree.” Rowankit was familiar with the Highest Tree, and it’s long, swooping branches. He glanced up at the rough, claw-worn bark with a pang of longing. He had always visualized climbing it as part of his warrior training, skittering over that rough bark, seeing the hard earth of the camp gradually get smaller and smaller as he climbed to the top. All his worries and fears and sibling troubles would just... drift away for the time being. It would just be him, him and the tree. Stop it! Rowankit scolded himself. Those are the fantasies of a kit, nothing more. You are doing what you want to do! All of the clan will respect you as a healer, a medicine cat, not just a plain old warrior! Rowankit sighed as he brought his mental debate to a close. Arguing with yourself could be more challenging than most fights. Cleverheart balanced on one if the branches, wobbling precariously. She was clearly not that strong in tree climbing yet. She steadied herself, exhaled, and spoke in a loud voice, “Cats of RainClan. I have some news to report to you.” She paused, took another breath, and continued. “I know we are still grieving over the death of Deerleap, our highly esteemed deputy.” Murmurs of agreement rippled it’s way through the assembled crowd. Deerleap was clearly well-respected by the whole clan, and her loss had been quite shocking. Rowankit still felt a little bad, as if he had something to do with what happened with her. Not for the first time that day, he told himself sternly, You were just trying to help. You did nothing. Yes, ''himself replied, ''but you could have warned her to be careful on the unstable ground. Like she would have listened to me! That was her son in danger! What could I do to stop her? You mean we. I am just a parat of you who decided to act rebellious today. You mean we, dear Rowankit. Er, me. Shut up, ''Rowankit thought, pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind. He tried to focus on what Cleverheart was saying instead. ”Last night, Wispstar appointed me as her successor. I don’t know what I did to deserve it, really. Wispstar is still grieving, as well as many if you are, I’m sure.” Rowankit nodded solemnly. “But we can’t grieve forever. I have good new. These times are dark, but we still have hope.” Rowankit bristled with excitement. He knew what she was going to say. "Three kits have reached their sixth moon, and as of today, will become apprentices that shall faithfully serve our clan. I hope I have your blessing and support as deputy of RainClan." Cleverheart smiled softly. Cheers rang out all around Rowankit, voicing the clan's support. Cleverheart was a little quiet and such, but the leader's word was law, and all the gathered cat's were clearly in support of his desicion. Except for one. Rowankit gasped as Darkfall pushed her way forwards, her dark fur brushing softly against his. "Huh?" Shardkit whispered to Rowankit. "What's she doing?" Rowankit felt honestly worried at the sight of the dark she-cat. Moonbreeze, sitting with some of his friends at the end of the line, looked positively distressed. He rushed to her uncertaintly, to where she was standing at the bottom of the tree. Darkfall hissed loudly. "Wispstar chose you? And inexperienced warrior, barely six moons out of the apprentice den. Why in the world wouldn't he have chose somecat else? Many of us have lived longer than you, had more experience, more knowledge. I know you, Cleverheart. You were my apprentice, you know. So why in the world did Wispstar choose ''you over me?!" "Calm down, Darkfall," Moonbreeze hissed. "You're not well. You should be in the nursery." "I'm perfectly fine, fox-heart." "No, you aren't." Rowankit gasped at this. His mother was once an amazing cat, or so he thought. Mother, what have you become these last few moons? Flintkit whimpered. "I... hate it when they fight like this." He put his head in in his paws, clearly distressed. Rowankit pressed against his brother, letting his patchy fur brush Flintkit's. He felt unusually cold. He was shaking, too. "It's okay, Flintkit. It's okay." The gray tom shuddered slightly, leaning against his brother. He said nothing in reply, but nodded slowly. "You re horrible, pretending I'm unwell! How could I know you didn't have this all planned? All of you! You all wanted a better shot at deputy, didn't you!" Darkfall was now becoming hysterical, breathing in short gasps, talking for shorter. "Let me... see Wispstar!" Flintkit buried his head in his paws woefully. Shardkit inched towards her siblings, draping her tail over Flintkit. Her face all but captured the essence of misery. As Moonbreeze and Darkfall kept trading insults, Rowankit mentally cautioned himself. She really isn't feeling well, but is just a faze. She'll be fine... "Enough!" A sharp voice commanded from behind Rowankit. He turned and saw a hunched, trembling cat. His fur was in clumps of tangled mats. His eyes were red and angry, jutting out from his pale complexion. Only when his eyes gilded up to the sun did he see the calm, determined look in them. He may have looked pale and sickly at this point, but Rowankit bowed his head in respect. Wispstar was his leader, just a disheveled version. Wispstar cautiously padded his way through the crowd. Rowankit lept out of the way, urging Flintkit to do the same. Flintkit sighed in dreadful anticipation. "What's he gonna do?" he asked. "I don't know," Rowankit answered reassuringly, amid the murmurs of confoundment and shock. Moonbreeze lurched back into the crowd, fearful looking. Wispstar stepped beside Darkfall, attempting to purr. What came out sounded like a dying mouse instead. Darkfall hissed loudly. ”That's enough, Darkfall. Come with me.” Wispstar hobbled into his den, gesturing for Darkfall to come with him. She silently obeyed, casting one last resentful look at Moonbreeze. He averted his eyes to the ground. Cleverheart cleared her throat, forcing Rowankit to look at her instead of thinking about his mother. It was today, he reminded himself. No more sitting in the nursery for him. “Erm, where was I? Oh yeah, apprentices.” Cleverheart’s words seemed to have taken a lurch. Whatever inspiring things she was planning to say, Darkfall’s appearance had made her forget most of them. ”We have three new apprentices... as of today, two will train as warriors, and one a medicine cat.” Rowankit plucked himself up, hoping I make a good impression. “They will each be assigned a mentor, and will train hard to earn their warrior names.” We know, get on with it! “With no further ado, please welcome our future warriors! And medicine cats. Shardkit, come here.” Shardkit attempted climbing the tree, going about three tail-lengths before falling down on her back. Pelt bristling with embarrassment, she pulked herself to her feet, blushing. Cleverheart bounded down, barely stumbling. “A noble effort, young one. Soon you’ll be climber ng trees with ease.” Shardkit seemed startstruck. “Really?” ”Yes, But you’ll need to train hard. Snowflick, you are a strong warrior. Shardpaw will grow strong under your wing.” ”Shardpaw! Shardpaw!” The same was done for Flintkit. He was assigned to Breezecone, and while everybody chanted his apprentice name, Rowankit realized he was next. As soon as Cleverheart called his name, he bounded through the crowd in an instant. Finally... ”Now, finally, we have Rowankit. Rowankit has been interested in the practice of healing and medicine, which has led to a desicion. Rowankit will be amedicine cat apprentice!” You already said that, ''Rowankit thought. ''Just get on with it. ”So, then, Rowankit, your mentor will be Blossomfall!” ”Rowanpaw! Flintpaw! Shardpaw!” Rowanpaw smiled slightly. Blossomfall touched noses with him, smirking. Moonbreeze went to congratulate his kits. This whole scene was heartwarming, but someone was missing. How long had it been? The sun had long since started it’s journey across the pale blue sky. How long since Darkfall had gone into Wispstar’s den? ”Pay attention!” Blossomfall hissed. ”Right!” Rowanpaw perked himself up, licking his chest fur self-consciously. ”You ready to start?” Rowanpaw followed his mentor, but allowed himself one last look at the leader’s den. What had happened? Chapter Four Frostpaw curled her tail around her hind-quarters thoughtfully. She gazed over at Thornpaw with half-closed eyes, attempting to stifle a yawn. Birds chirped quietly in the distance. An edge of the sun glared at Frostpaw, forcing her to avert her gaze. Thornpaw meowed softly. ”It’s barely after dawn, yet we’re still supposed to wake up and patrol?” Frostpaw nudged her sister affectionately. “First we practice our battle moves. Then we patrol. Get it straight, furrball.” “Doesn’t matter to me. It sounds exhausting either way.” Flintpaw and Shardpaw idled nearby, waiting for their mentors. It had been a day since Frostpaw had been apprenticed. Her mentor was to be Cleverheart. The clan deputy. Frostpaw still felt a little nervous in the tabby she-cat’s presence. She wasn’t like a normal warrior. Cleverheart had lots of power over her. She may seem slightly aloof and not very dignified, but she could do a whole lot. Plus, Wispstar seemed to have fallen ill a little while back, and still hadn’t recovered. Which meant her mentor was in charge of the whole clan. Hailfoot, Thornpaw's mentor, pushed through a nearby bush. "Are you two ready for your first time outside the camp?" "Yeah!" Thornpaw squealed. Hailfoot was a brown tom with a slight limp from an injury a quarter-moon before, around the time Deerpelt passed away. The clan had mostly gotten over their grief, as he seemed to have with his injury. It was replaced quickly with affection for their five new apprentices. They were the next generation of warriors. One could even be leader some day. Training them well was mandatory. Frostpaw hoped Cleverheart and the others would do a good job. Her mind kept flashing back to her dream. It was obviously not a prophecy or anything, she was just a kit at the time. But she couldn't shake the feeling that this meant something important. But what? Cleverheart soon arrived, chatting with the other mentors: Breezecone, a older she-cat, and Snowflick. Snowflick shot Frostpaw a quick grin before moving over to his apprentice. Soon, a plan was formed. They would go to the training grounds first, where Frostpaw and Thornpaw would get a basic idea of battle moves. Then they would patrol the borders of the territory, a menial task which was sure to last until at least midday. Even with that, Frostpaw was excited. It was her first time outside of camp boundaries, and she was sure it would be more fun than it sounded. The camp was a fun place at first, with stones to skip over and saplings for kits to climb. But it was getting cramped. Frostpaw wanted to run, climb, hunt. Her limbs had been pleading for exercise for months. It was finally her chance. They set out soon after, pushing through the brambles thicket that surrounded the camp. What Frostpaw saw was truly a sight to behold... a sight she had never seen before, like a hungry fox viewing a deer for the first time. They were standing on a slight ledge with a path zig-zagging down a few fox-lengths, to a wide, windy meadow. Flowers were clustered among pale green grass, with hues stretching from an energetic yellow to a deep, azure blue. The place was literally bursting with colour, a stark contrast to the murky grays of camp. This was a sign of newleaf, a promise held so long Frostpaw was worried it wouldn't come. The breeze tickled her fur, making her giggle softly. A small cluster of evergreen trees were tucked away at the side of her vision. However, they didn't matter much at that point. All she could think about was the beautiful meadow. How had her parents kept such a thing away from her for so long? All she wanted to do was roll in the grass, or relax in the cool shade of a hedge, slowly intaking the world around her. "Frostpaw?" Cleverheart's voice cut into her thoughts, abruptly stopping her train of thought. "You coming?" He others were halfway down the path already. Frostpaw was so absorbed in her thoughts that they had slipped away without her. "Yeah!" She called as she dashed down the path towards the group of cats. "I'm here!" Sticking to a cracked, worn-out path, Frostpaw followed the trail of cats. Breezecone and Hailfoot led the way through the tall grass. A bug nipped at Frostpaw's shoulder. Groaning, she shook it out. She was vaguely aware of Hailfoot pointing out important places along the trail, but she couldn't care less. "Here is the Hollow Log, a great hiding spot. When the foxes invaded..." Blah blah blah, boring. Frostpaw instead focused on the incredible scenery, as well as the lustrous scents. A scent of rabbit wafted up her nose, so strong she could almost taste it. Hailfoot was pointing something out about an abandoned badger den when she interrupted by saying, "Uh, Hailfoot? Sir?" The brown tom turned back to look at her with a slightly confused expression on his face. "Yeah?" I sniff again, rabbit drafting through my nostrils. “Um... sir... I’m smelling rabbit up this path.” The other members of my group nosed around until they caught on too. “It’s very strong,” Breezecone murmured. “How didn’t I notice this before?” Frostoaw's nose pricked. For some reason, dust was flying into it. She sneezed, shaking it out. Why was there so much dust in the air? It wasn't windy or anything. Breezecone led the way through a thicket of brambles and undergrowth to a section of the large forest Frostpaw had seen while looking from the cliff. Frostoaw's nosed itched with excitement. The rabbit scent was getting stronger. There must be a whole bunch, judging by the smell. After walking for a while, Breezecone stopped. She ushered for the others to be quiet. Tensed, the adult cats peered through the bushes. Frostpaw noticed Snowflick was standing stock-still next to her. "What going on?" She whispered. Snowflick didn't seem to hear her. "That smell..." he murmured. "I can smell... other cats." Frostpaw wrinkled her snout. It was true, there seemed to be cats in around them. But they didn't smell like any RainClan cat Frostpaw knew. No, these ones stunk. They smelled like rotten things, crow-food, and maybe something else. Something softer, sweeter, that she couldn't place. What was up with this? Her curiosity felt like it was going to burst out of her. Unable to resist any longer, she peeked through the bushes, and this was what she saw. About five cats, maybe six, maybe seven. A few were lounging around, but the rest seemed intent on scraping up dirt and... covering rabbits! A bunch of dead rabbits, a few of which were completely covered in cat dung, others in dust and mud. This was why nobody else could smell the rabbits! These cats were masking their scent! "How's it going?" a large she-cat asked a young tom who was intently burying a rabbit in the ground. "Great! These clan cats won't know what hit them," the young tom replied confidently. Frostpaw held her breath. What were they doing? "Good job," she appraised. "Phase one starts tomorrow. Get some rest, we'll invade the camp tomorrow." The tom seemed confused for a second, then nodded. "Right." Frostpaw felt her clanmate's fur bristle in alarm. Invade the camp? Why? Cleverheart beckoned the rest of the patrol away from the hedges. She whispered in a low, commanding voice. "Okay. We need all troops ready. These cats are clearly invaders with sinister motives. They must be dealt with accordingly. Hailfoot, Snowflick, Flintpaw?" The three nodded. "When I give the signal, you will leap out of the bushes over ''there." ''Cleverheart nodded at a copse opposite to where they were standing. They proceeded to stalk their way over to their positions while Cleverheart continued, but Frostpaw noticed a wink and smile from Snowflick. She felt choked up, even though she wasn't sure why. "Breezecone, Shardpaw? You two follow me. We will push our way through the shrubs near the rabbit pile. Classic divide-and-conquer strategy. I will be with you in a second." "But how do we know it will work? I've seen this used many--" "No, it will work," Cleverheart replied smoothly but firmly. "A quick reminder, Breezecone. I am your deputy. Be aware..." "Right." Breezecone nodded and crept through the bushes, the apprentice trailing behind her. "What about us?" Thornpaw asked. "I have a very important job for you two. We need someone to go back and warn the camp about the rogues. Then, they can send reinforcments to help finish the rogues off. Do you think you can handle that?" Thornpaw groaned, but nodded. Fros grinned. "Yes, sir." "Good. When I give the signal--" "What signal?" Thornpaw questioned boisterously. Cleverheart sighed. "I will flick my tail at you. The other groups will dash out at the rogues, while you run as fast as you can back to camp. Do you know the way back?" "Yes, sir," Frostpaw confirmed, recalling the trail that led through the meadow and into the forest. "Good. Get ready." Their eyes met. Frostpaw could see the sorrow in her eyes. She was scared, nervous. "By the way, nice job sniffing out those bastards. We wouldn't have noticed if not for you." Frostpaw's face felt hot and slimy, like a piece of rotten prey left out in the sun too long. She stood up straight and rigid, trying to make herself look dependable. Cleverheart smiled. Cleverheart treaded to her hiding spot, tense and alert. Frostpaw's heart was beating so loud I was sure she could hear it all the way back there. Cleverheart nodded at her, then flicked her tail. Once, twice, thrice... Frostpaw turned and dashed away, Thornpaw closely behind. She didn't look back, even when yowling and the sounds of battle erupted behind her. Even when she heard screams of agony, piercing through her heart. She recognised them. These were her clan mates she was leaving behind! But she continued running straight. She didn't look back. Chapter Five Frostpaw led the patrol back through the forest. Every footstep and they were getting closer. But what if they were too slow? What if something terrible had happened... to Cleverheart or Snowflick or even one of the apprentices. She picked up the pace, with her patrol trailing behind. It consisted of Blossomfur, her apprentice Rowanpaw, and back-up warriors Moonbreeze and Fishtail. Thornpaw had stayed behind to "guard the camp" even though Frostpaw got the sense that wasn't what was actually happening. Thornpaw was scared. Frostpaw was too, but she didn't want that to stop her. She signalled for her patrol to stop. They were at the trail where Frostpaw had first scented rabbit. She led them down the path warily, alert for any sounds that might hint at fighting. But there were none. The forest was eerily quiet, save for the occasional chirp of a bird, or a squirrel leaping from tree to tree. She even spied a young buck in the distance, but kept moving along the path. She had a clan to save. She hoped she wasn't to late. She heard a yowling noise in the distance. It sounded like... Cleverheart. She burst through the bushes, past the familiar smell of rabbits and even a few shocked-looking rogues. Chaos erupted around her. "Get her!" A voice yowled. Frostpaw turned around. The she-cat she gad seen earlier was standing over her, hissing with contempt. She saw cats fighting out of the corner of her eye. Hailfoot and Cleverheart were battling a big tom. Breezecone and the apprentices tackled some smaller cats, but there were too many for them and they were quickly overwhelmed. But one cat was missing from this chaotic scene. "Frostpaw!" Snowflick called from somewhere in the distance. "Frostpaw!" The she-cat leered at her, she hit her with one huge paw. A smaller tom sidled up beside her. "Your orders?" She asked. "Kill her. She's of no value to us." The way he said it, flat, with no emotion in his voice, made her feel sick to her stomach. Problem was, she already felt sick. She might have vomited, she wasn't sure. All she could focus on was the two cats standing over her, not afraid to kill a defensless kitten, fresh out of the nursery. She curled up and waited for the end. She felt the slam. Stars swirled around. A big white tom was leaping in slow motion, towards her and her captors... Bang. "Frostpaw?" "You okay?" "Hello?" Flintpaw and Foxtuft stood over her, with Rowanpaw and Blossomfur not far in the distance. "What's happening? What just--?" "You're okay, Frostpaw," Foxtuft said silkily. Frostpaw trembled. She had never felt so scared in her life. She tried to stand, but Flintpaw eased her back down. "Don't worry, it'a fine." Cleverheart approached stealthily. I could see she was bleeding from a scratch above her eye. The rogues did that to her, I realized with a jolt of anger. "Did we win?" I asked. "Yes. But every victory comes with a price. "Frostpaw, I'm really sorry. It's all my fault for leading my warriors into battle without a proper assessment of our opponents. I-i didn't know they would be so strong, their means so cruel. I never imagined being a deputy would be this hard..." Cleverheart dropped her gaze slowly, continuing in a whisper, "Things will be different from here on out, that is my promise to you. I don't think words can make it any better for you, but one day you might forgive me." "Why?" Her voice trembled and shook. "I'm sorry, Frostpaw. I really am." Frostpaw shot up, looking right in the direction of Blossomfur and her apprentice. She put the pieces together instantly. "No... no. No!" Cleverheart bowed her head. Category:Warriors Fanon Category:Warriors Category:Fanfictions Category:Work in Progress __FORCETOC__